


The King’s Handbook: Chapter 2, Deceit and Subterfuge

by slightly_murderous_sorcerer (emerald_witch_esmeralda)



Series: The King's Handbook [2]
Category: Versailles (TV 2015)
Genre: Bisexual Louis XIV, Bisexual Queen Mary, Bisexual William of Orange, F/M, Infidelity, M/M, Power Couple, Power Throuple, eventual polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 04:16:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20333917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emerald_witch_esmeralda/pseuds/slightly_murderous_sorcerer
Summary: William and Louis are in love, William is in love with his wife, Queen Mary is in love with William and smarter than they give her credit for...and this whole thing threatens to bust wide open.





	1. All’s Fair In Love And War (or is it?)

“Shit!” William sighed and bit his bottom lip, tangling his fingers in the other man’s hair so tightly that there was real fear that he’d pull some of it out. Louis moaned lowly when his hair was tugged and sucked harder, causing William to cry out sharply. “Fuck.” Louis chuckled at that, the vibrations going straight to William’s dick. Louis actually reached up and pulled William’s hand out of his hair when the grip became too much. “Not what I expected to wake up to in the morning but...” Louis pulled off just before William could come, and the younger man whines in frustration. “You _tease_, I thought you said you’d get on your knees for no man.” He panted.  
“Well I’m not on my knees, am I?” Louis flashed him a cheeky smile, shaking his silver and gold hair over a pale shoulder. “And besides...you have to get up and do your duty in about half an hour, it’s very un-kingly to laze about in bed.” William pouted and Louis tugged at a black curl, patting his cheek. “Nobody said being king was easy.”  
“Well, you’re right about that. But I can be upset about having our alone time interrupted.”  
“I’m here for another day, we have all the time in the world.” Louis danced his fingers down William’s bare back before the younger man pulled away to go get dressed. “Will you dress yourself or will you send in your valets?”  
“Unlike you, I don’t get my jollies off in having my court seeing me ass naked.”  
“That’s not fair, they never actually see my ass.”  
“But your valets do.” The thought of other people watching Louis dress, looking at him naked sent an unpleasant jolt through William and he frowned. At first he thought it ridiculous, now it just made him uncomfortable. “Whatever’s the matter?”  
“I’m just thinking...other people are seeing you without your clothes. I think only I should get to see you like that.”  


  
“Our wives see us nude.”  
“Not the same. But...it makes me upset.”  
“You don’t need to be.” Louis sat straight up, covers wrapped around his shoulders. “I’m fifty-two, mon cher. Trust me, nobody’s looking anymore. I’m no longer as beautiful as I was.”  
“Of course you are.” William was finally dressed and then turned around so Louis could see him. “So, Majesty? What do you think, do I look kingly enough?”  
“A bit too orange for my tastes, but I’ll give it the Bourbon seal of approval.” Louis dragged himself out of bed to dress himself, not having the energy to summon his retinue. Of course in true opulent French fashion, he wore a suit of gold and silver. The cut and embroidery were surprisingly simple, like the outfit that William wore but the colors would make him sparkle. And boy did he love to sparkle. “The sun in splendor. And all of France’s pride.”  
“You flatter me, mon cher. The tulip of Holland speaking in such a way, or perhaps more of a strong oak tree. Tall, straight, strong and handsome.” Louis pecked William on the lips before sitting at the vanity. “Go, you have duties...fourth rule of kinging, being late is very bad form. I’m sure I’ll keep myself entertained in the meantime, you won’t want to keep your public waiting.”  
“Oh don’t worry, I’ll entertain you plenty when I return.” William places a kiss to Louis’ neck, sighing and pulling him closer to place another one slightly lower until Louis shuddered slightly. The older man felt the smirk against his skin and shoved William’s head away with great reluctance. “You impudent boy, get off.” The older man whispered against William’s lips, dragging a finger down his nose.  
“Damn it, I’m trying to.”  
“Honestly, William. Off with you.” Louis said amusedly.  
“Is that any way to speak to a crowned monarch in his own kingdom?” William said just as fondly.  
“No, but I can break one of the kinging rules when you’re acting un-kingly.”  
William and Louis exchanged a small smile before William gave himself a once-over in the mirror, heading out to greet the day.  


  


  
“William?” Mary turned over to see her bed still half-empty, blinking sleepy eyes. Where was her husband? She saw William retire after the ball, did he stop to talk to one of the lords before bed? She would assume that he’d gotten up early to take care of his duties, if she’d seen him go to bed. She tucked her brown hair behind her ear, slowly climbing out of bed before calling her ladies to dress her. “Has anyone seen the king?”  
“Not since the ball last night, Your Majesty. He did spent a good bit of time in the company of the King of France, but that’s the only thing of note.”  
“He visited me, left, and didn’t come back. He’d been acting strangely since after the ball...something fishy is up here and I don’t like it.”  
“I wouldn’t worry, my lady. I’m sure the king just has a lot on his mind is all, I mean you both now have several kingdoms to run. It can distract any man to the point of insanity sometimes. I see the way he looks at you, he adores you.”  
“That I don’t deny. I don’t doubt his love. Just his honesty. Now Parliament is to have a meeting and I must be there.” The queen’s tone was light and conversational, but she played William’s behavior in her mind, seeing him and King Louis in a corner away from the rest of the world and his nervousness at seeing him. She’d just assumed that it was from seeing an old enemy, but now she wasn’t so sure. Why stay so close to someone you disliked? Plus there was the fact that nobody had seen either William or Louis after William retired...she filed those bits of information in the back of her brain for later use, making up her mind to question him.  


  


  
“May.” Mary looked up from securing another pin in her hair to see her husband in the doorway, smiling at her. “Ladies, leave us.” When they curtsied and left the room, Mary reached out to embrace him.  
“You look beautiful.”  
“Thank you.” She blinked up at him demurely, but William knew better. His May was as wily as a fox, and her grin was all teeth. Sharp as a blade and just as challenging...just his luck to fall in love with two crafty monarchs who could read him like a book. “You finally see fit to greet me...you mind telling me where you were last night?”  
“Forgive me for not seeing you sooner, my Queen. I had to...discuss some things with the French king.”  
“It seems odd that he’d come all this way for an old enemy’s coronation. Don’t you find it strange?”  
“Of course I do...but I didn’t want to spoil such a happy day for the both of us. Plus, I was actually kind of glad to display my power to him...maybe he’ll think twice before trying to go to war with us again.”  
“You two said that you had a discussion...can you not tell me what exactly those discussions were? I’m your co-ruler as well as your wife, I should know these things.” Her tone was honey-sweet, and to her relief William seemed to lower his guard a little.  
“Of course, I will tell you all. But first, maybe we should get to council?”  
“Of course. But maybe we should make the lords wait a little...let them know that they’re running on our time and not us on theirs.”  
“You’ve certainly got the rules of kinging down, my sweet. Or queening, in your case.”  
“The rules of kinging?” Mary raised an eyebrow and William kissed her cheek. “Some thing that King Louis made a joke of with me, he said that I should know the “rules of kinging” as it were. One of his rules was “be bold with your power”, and I see you doing that.”  
“I never thought I’d see you and the man joke in a million years. Besides, I never thought you’d take his advise.”  
“Neither did I, really. But he seems to be rubbing off on me, at least a little.  
“He seems an interesting one...I wish to speak to him. So I can get some idea of what we’re dealing with to the south.”  
“I will definitely let him know.” Mary looped her arm through William’s and they disappeared down the corridor to prepare for this session of Parliament...kinging was a busy business after all.  



	2. Roses and Red Stockings (or: The Symbolism of Red)

“You’re late.” Louis chided William gently when he came upon him in the gardens.  
“Forgive me. Have you managed to entertain yourself while I was away?”  
“Quite. Your library is quite an interesting read, and I never really cared for reading as a leisure activity. My tutors chided me but my little brother adored reading...the little swot.” Louis muttered the last part under his breath and William chuckled, sitting on the stone bench next to his lover. “My tutors admired how quick he was and called me slow, I’m not slow. I’m just lazy when it comes to studying.”

  
“I adored studying. Nothing I loved more than curling up in my bed with a good book...except playing with my toy soldiers, maybe.”  
“Well you’re delicate and asthmatic, so you were probably stuck inside.” William swatted Louis’ arm for that remark. “This delicate and asthmatic man still managed to beat your whole army.” William said proudly and Louis snorted. “You got lucky.” William peered over Louis’ shoulder and saw the title of the book he was reading. “The Art of War?”  
“Shut up. You know, Majesty...you’ve been quite discourteous.  
“How so?”  
“You failed to give me a tour of your gardens, and I had to walk around them all by myself. Oh, I adored your roses...not as nice as the ones at Versailles but they’re pretty enough.” Now it was William’s turn to snort. “So arrogant you are. Our gardens are lovely...they kind of remind me of the ones back home in The Hague.”  
“I still say that Versailles is better but this is pretty as well. I especially love the tulips.”  
“I’m Dutch, mijn schat. You didn’t think I’d plant tulips? Actually they were a surprise from Mary...she knew I was missing Holland.”  
“I’m actually surprised that I didn’t expect it.” Louis frowned slightly at the mention of Mary and the sparkle in William’s eyes at the mention of her, but immediately tried to hide it.  
“I like to come out here to think sometimes. The frogs and the crickets singing at night is one of my favorite things about it, it’s very peaceful. And absolutely beautiful.”  
“More beautiful than I? Or the charming Mary Stuart?”  
“No. You two are far more beautiful.” Louis took William’s hand and walked him over to the nearest rose trellis, still slightly damp from last night’s rainfall. William pulled Louis behind the trellis so that the thick growth of flowers hid them from view and pressed their lips together. Louis sighed into his lover’s mouth and placed his hands on either side of William’s face, gasping as he was pulled closer to the other man’s body. “I’ve missed you.” William muttered when he pulled away.  


  
“And I’ve missed you, mon cher. I hate that we have to steal moments like this.”  
“One day, maybe that will change.” Louis smiled at that and plucked a rose, weaving it into William’s cravat. “Holland’s finest flower. You bloom so beautifully.” 

  
William kissed his cheek, then moved his lips to Louis’ neck, pushing fabric out of the way to get at him better. “Mon Dieu.” Louis breathed. He whimpered when William bit hard enough to leave red marks on his skin. It’s funny, William thought. At first he dreamed constantly of leaving red on Louis’ skin, but in those dreams it was usually the man’s own blood. Now he was marking his skin with red bruises, each one like a blooming red flower. _A rose, perhaps?_ William’s seed planted just below Louis’ skin, and like any good gardener he was proud of his work. And he was drawing Louis’ blood, but to the surface of his skin in a heated blush instead of in a great torrent of life leaving his body.  
“Wait...ah. William, I don’t...I don’t want to end up rutting out here.”  
“Why not? Let’s live a little dangerously. We’re kings and we can do as we please. Besides, you haven’t let me fuck you against a wall like this ever since we were on that ship going to Spain for the leaders’ summit.”  
“Ah yes...I remember that ship.”  
“You and your damn red stockings. Walking around in front of me like a shameless harlot. Seriously, every time my wife wears red stockings I get a boner now and it’s all your fault.”  
Louis chuckled in William’s ear. “Good.” He said, not even the slightest bit embarrassed. Maybe you’ll produce an heir sooner rather than later.” The king was rather pleased that he crossed his lover’s mind when he was fucking his wife sometime.”  


  


  
“You stoke a fire in me. Almost as much as you angered me then.”  
“Fire and blood, eh?” Louis whispered. “Fire is orange...though some would call it red. It’s red in some lights. Like you...you're so many things at once that I can hardly keep heads or tails of you.”  
“Me?” William laughed. “What of you, you changeable, maddening creature?”  
“William!” Upon hearing his name, William immediately broke away from Louis and looked out to the garden, seeing a parade of gowns entering through the gate. “Shit, it’s the queen!”  
“So what?” Louis asked.  
“So what?! She can’t see us like this...hide!”  
“I don’t hide, mon cher. Not in the closet like some mistress.”  
“I love you. But I can’t let Mary see this...the damage to both our reputations. The damage to her heart. And to mine.”  
Louis frowned slightly, but left the garden and soon William was face to face with his wife. “May-flower.”  
“Bill.” Mary greeted her husband with a curtsy, taking his arm. “Shall we take a turn around the gardens?”  
“That sounds lovely, my dear.” They began walking with the ladies some paces behind them. “You really impressed me at Parliament today.”  
“I’m glad you think so.” William kissed Mary’s hand and put an arm around her waist. “My dear...why is your shirt all awry?”  
William nearly froze in his tracks at Mary’s question, dark eyes giving him a placid, expectant look and seeming to try to scan his very soul. “What?”  
“Your top buttons are undone, your shirt is untucked. I just thought it was a little...curious?”  
“Well...”  
“Nice rose. The red brings out your skin. You just decided to pluck one and weave it into your cravat? Well, you always did like to stand out from the crowd.” She smiled.  
“You have nothing to fear, my lady.”  
“I don’t doubt that for a second...you’re the most trustworthy and steadfast man I know, darling.”  
Surprisingly...William had absolutely zero to say and tried to hide the fact that she believed him pure cut him to the quick even as Mary started animatedly talking about the flowers and exchanging looks with her ladies. Some of them were openly appraising, and both the king and queen exchanged a smile. That was one thing the both of them had in common, a secret that bound them together. He only hoped that it didn’t become the force that tore them apart. _If only you knew, darling. I’m not the truthful man that you think I am._  
“Doesn’t it remind you of blood? How red the roses are? I assumed with you being a soldier...”  
“Red stands for a lot of things, love. Blood is one of them. So is passion, vigor.”  
William smiled again.  
“Lust. Romance. Danger.” Mary finished casually. “Roses have thorns...they’re so beautiful but they can hurt you if you’re not careful. People get disarmed by the eye-catching petals, unaware that the roses are hiding a secret.” The smile slowly slipped from William's face at each word.  
“I’m going to chat with Celia for a bit, darling. Catch up to you later?”  
“Yes.” Mary kissed William on the cheek as he continued the garden tour some ways ahead, and the queen immediately stepped toward the blonde lady that was gathering flowers for the drawing room. “You will go to the King of France’s rooms tonight. Distract him if you need to, he’s quite fond of beautiful women. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, but do whatever you need to in order to get him out of that room. Squeeze some information out of him if you can.  
Celia raised an eyebrow at such a request from her queen...once upon a time, she would’ve been furious if anybody but her touched her. Their affair had died down a couple of years before Mary wed, but they were still very close friends. “Of course, my lady. But may I ask what for?”  
“My lord is far too clever to use his own rooms...and I think he’s becoming rather too chummy with this old enemy too quickly...William doesn’t forget enmity that fast. He’s also breaking his vow to me, he has ceased to be honest. He’s keeping something from me, and I want to know why. Nay, I _need_ to know why and you’re the only one I trust with this. William mustn’t catch on. If he can keep secrets from me, I can keep this one from him...if only for a little bit.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOHH BITCH! MARY IS ON THE SCENT NOW AND SHE AIN’T GONNA QUIT UNTIL SHE FINDS THE SOURCE! THIS BITCH IS A BLOODHOUND!


	3. Even Kings Need Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY updated after two months, the block has been absolute hell guys but I’m back from it now! The plot thickens...kinda. No.

“What are you doing?” William asked, coming upon Mary sitting at her writing desk with a letter open on top of the pile.  
“It’s a correspondence with Queen Marie-Thérèse. I wrote to her for advice, I mean she’s married to that impossible man. So I figured she could help us.” Mary laughed and it earned a chuckle from William.  
“Indeed, I’m surprised the poor woman hasn’t smothered him in his sleep yet.”  
“Louis used to have a huge philandering problem...and with how secretive you were being, I feared you were cheating on me.”  
“May.” William’s jovial look dropped from his face. He was cut to the quick, but tried not to show it. She didn’t need that heartache.  
“But according to her, he got rid of all his mistresses. I think returning from war made him see what was truly important.” The queen noticed the look of surprise on William’s face, but spoke casually. “I know, never thought I’d see the day.”  
“Well, war tends to set a man straight. Life and death decisions and all that. Makes you see your own mortality.” William knelt at her side and Mary turned her eyes, the same dark eyes they both shared to him.  
“Maybe your iron self-control has started to rub off on him. I guess even an old French dog can learn new tricks.”  
“Old French dog?” William snorted, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Now that’s just mean, May.” Mary smiled wickedly. “Is it so mean to tell the truth?”  
“You’re clever, it’s what I love about you.”  
“You’re just as clever, I wouldn’t marry a man who couldn’t keep up with me after all. You just like to keep to yourself.”  
“You flatter me.” William smiled, dropping a kiss to Mary’s shoulder. “William.” Mary chuckled, weakly batting him away as his lips moved to her neck. A tightening of his arms around her waist and a low growl was his answer. “Stop it, I’m busy.”  
“Too busy for me?”  
“You horny man, off with you!” She was giggling now, swiping at him with her quill. “You sure? I’d stop if you wanted me to, but I don’t think you do.” His hands crept under her nightshirt, making her gasp.  
“William, what are you...?”  
“Shhh...I’ve got this.” Like he had done at the convent with Louis, he knelt before Mary’s chair...but this time the intent was different. He pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh. “Just trust me.” He kissed her again, this one a bit higher and she couldn’t hold back a shout when his mouth finally went where she wanted it to go.  


  
William woke up to see his wife wrapped around him, all ivory skin and soft hair as she slept heedless of the world around them before he smiled softly, pushing some hair out of her eyes. She didn’t deserve this. And neither did Louis, and neither did he. His smile was soon replaced by a slight frown when she slightly stirred and snuggled deeper into him, not that it was her fault..._it was nobody’s but mine._  
Moving carefully so as not to wake her, William shifted around until he could climb out of bed. He dropped a kiss onto Mary’s forehead, tucking hair behind her ear. “I’ll be right back, darling.” He whispered, pulling his dressing gown on before he padded quietly down the hallway to the room at the very end, smiling when he saw the light still on under the door.  


  
Mary was a gentle thing, a lady. Making love to her was sweet, slow. Relaxing, almost like a dream. There were soft touches and whispered, breathy words...giggles. Being with her was like floating in a calm, peaceful sea of honey.  
  
With Louis, it was fire all around. Each of them blazed and in turn tried to singe in return, it was frantic and heated and trying to outdo one another even in this. Tugging at hair and biting at skin, scratches and loud shouts, both desperately trying to burn his brand into the other. The sunburn was clear on William’s skin at this point.  
  
“William.” Louis looked up at his lover in surprise, setting down his pen when he heard the door squeak open. “You two have disturbingly similar habits.” William muttered.  
“What? Speak up sonny, I can’t hear as well.” William snorted at Louis’ remark, a flashback to him calling him “old man” earlier.  
“How are you awake at this hour?”  
“A king never sleeps, my dear. In time you’ll learn that soon enough.”  
“I’m pretty sure even a king needs sleep to function.” William laughed.  
“No sleep, we die like men.”  
William laughed again and the sound brought a smile to Louis’ face. Is what your queen said true?” William asked, standing in the doorway of Louis’ room. “Did you really get rid of all your mistresses?”  
“I...there’s only you. And how did you know...”  
“Our wives have been writing to each other. I found Mary penning a letter to Marie-Thérèse.” Glancing over to the other side of the desk, the younger man could see. Louis was eating something that looked glazed. “Want a sticky bun?” He asked through a mouthful of spiced dough.  
William took his lover’s fingers, the hand that wasn’t writing and sucked the glaze off of them instead, making Louis flush a brilliant scarlet. “You’re as shameless as I, if not more.”  
“Side effect from spending time with you.”  
“That very well may be so. What, you didn’t get enough from the queen?”  
“Huh?”  
“I can smell perfume on you. Do you really have the nerve to come to my bed after you just got out of hers? I take no umbrage to you sleeping with her, I mean that is your wife.”  
“That statement was fifty percent lie...”  
“Perhaps it was, how perceptive.”  
“I didn’t come to argue, Lou. Not this time, there’s plenty of time for us to argue like we like to do. I came to see you.”  
“Well come in then, I don’t know why you’re just standing there like it’s not your palace.”  
“This another kinging rule I should know about?” William asked, putting his arms around Louis’ shoulders.  
“Hmm, not quite. Just bad form to be standing in the doorway like a creeper.” Louis leaned back into the touch, taking a break from writing to reach up and undo the ties on the neck of William’s nightshirt. “I suppose I can finish the correspondence in the morning.”  


  


  
Louis was the first to move from their tangle of limbs, blinking his eyes open to find that it was still dark. This sudden movement caused William to stir after feeling the shift beneath him. He saw the small frown on the older man’s face and cocked an eyebrow...the candle had burned down but still provided pretty dim light, they must’ve forgotten to put it out. “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Lulu, don’t try to lie to me. If you’re angry with me, just say so.”  
“I am not angry with you, cher. I was just thinking. You should get back to your wife...to be there with her in the morning.”  
“I’ll have all the time in the world to be with her, but you’re leaving in two days...I may never get to wake up with you again.”  
That sentence brought a small smile to Louis’ face and he gently pushed hair out of his lover’s eyes, but his look remained serious. “You’re sweet. Maite, she and I...I promised that I would be there with her every morning, that her bed would be the last stop before I went to retire. You should do the same for Mary, it’s a King’s duty. Besides, she can’t become suspicious and a king can never give away too many of his secrets.”  
“Is that another one of Louis’ kinging rules?”  
“No, that was a queen’s rule actually. My mother.”  
“She seems remarkable.”  
“She was. I’m the man I am today because of her.”  
“Well damn, now I won’t be able to tell her how grateful and irritated I am for her releasing this beautiful plague upon the earth.” Louis swatted William’s shoulder lightly. “Oh, stop it. Get some sleep, you’ll need it.”  
“I thought kings didn’t sleep.” “We find time, when we can.” Louis shifted so that they were looking at each other. “I love you.”  
“And I love you. Should we snuff the candle?”  
“It’s already burning itself out, I say we let it finish.”  
“Oh, you mean like you didn’t let me this morning?” William sniped.  
“Childish. You finished tonight, didn’t you? Twice, I might add.”  
“Well yes, but...” William’s hands went for the ties on Louis’ nightshirt, and the French king decided that it would help the both of them sleep far better if he...helped him in that endeavor.  



End file.
